Early History of Rio de Janeiro
Rio was founded, let us remember, by Estacio de Sá, in 1567, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth.
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“Some History” from The Beautiful Rio de Janeiro by Alured Gray Bell, 1914
Rio was founded, let us remember, by Estacio de Sá, in 1567, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth.
After the departure of Mem de Sá in February, 1560, the small French colony elected not to return to Villegaignon Island, but proceeded to take up their abode on the main-land, near the present Cattete quarter of Rio, and also effected a lodgment on Governador Island. From these positions, after a two years' struggle (1565—7), both parties being assisted by friendly Indians, the French were driven by the tenacious Portuguese under Estacio de Sa, a considerable reinforcement from Bahia, under Mem de Sá himself, on January 18, 1567, assisting to this result. The French survivors escaped to the south-eastern coast of the present state of Rio, many remaining among the Indians and adopting their customs.
Estacio de Sá had disembarked his troops west of the Sugar Loaf Hill, between which point and the city quays, a distance of some four miles, the city now extends in its southern ramifications. Mem de Sá, however, on his nephew's death, transferred the site of the new town to the Morro de Castello (Castle Hill) overlooking the present central quarter. From this position, the real nucleus of Rio de Janeiro, the city has extended serpent-like north, south, and west.
For a long time the little town remained under the shadow of Castle Hill, as being better defensible against Indian attacks which were frequent and harassing. Gradually the then marshy land lying between Castle Hill and Sao Bento Hill, to-day dominating respectively the southern and northern extremities of the Avenida Rio Branco, was occupied by the Portuguese colonists. But the progress of the new town ; in 1648 it consisted of three streets only, and had no pretensions to rival the then capital of Brazil, Bahia.
The marshy lands, however, continued to be reclaimed, serving for the formation of new streets, until in 1763, the town obtained the honour of being proclaimed the capital of the Vice-royalty of Brazil. The vicissitudes experienced by the early colonists in the intervening period are part of the general history of the country, and cannot be detailed here, but they include the capture and occupation of Rio de Janeiro, for some months during 1710 and 1711 by the French under Duclerc and Duguay-Trouin, and occasional raids by the English and the Dutch.
In 1654 Rio de Janeiro had a population of about 3,000, with a garrison of 600 men. At the time of Duclerc's Expedition (1710) the population was estimated at 12,000 inhabitants; in 1763, when constituted the capital of Brazil, it had outgrown Bahia, and counted 30,000 inhabitants, including African slaves. Already the famous Carioca aqueduct had been built to supply the city with pure water from a neighbouring height, and was destined to supply also a nickname for the citizens of Rio—a nickname I shall frequently employ.
The planting of rice and coffee had also been introduced, and local shipbuilding had acquired sufficient proportions to prove of immense service to the navy of the mother country.
In 1808 Dom Joao VI. of Portugal, forced to abandon his country to the mercy of Napoleon, arrived in Rio and established his new court. In that year the city extended between the rivulets Larangeiras on the south and Comprido on the north, and comprised forty-six streets and nineteen squares. Its principal edifices were the Royal Chapel, S. Joao Theatre, the Episcopal Palace, the Seminary of S. Jose, the Military Hospital, the Forts of the Conception and S. Thiago, the Customs House, and the Naval Arsenal. It had besides three barracks and thirty-four churches and convents. Between April and November 1808, King John VI. created the Supreme Military Court, the Military Archives, the Law Courts, the Naval Academy, the Powder Factory, the Commercial Tribunals, the Bank of Brazil, the School of Medicine and Surgery, and the Royal Printing Works.
On the 10th of September the first number of Brazil's earliest newspaper, the Gazeta do Rio de Janeiro, appeared. The capital of the Bank of Brazil was fixed at 1,200 contos (£100,000 about), and the ports of Brazil were proclaimed free to the traders of all nations.
At the end of the thirteen years' sojourn of King John VI. the second official census (1821) showed a metropolitan population, including the islands, of 112,695 inhabitants. It was but natural that the presence of the Portuguese Court should provide an excellent impetus to the growth of Rio de Janeiro.
By the year 1870 the population had doubled itself, and in 1890 the census showed 522,000 inhabitants.
The long reign of Dom Pedro II. (1831—89) witnessed a great increase in the importance of Rio, but the same cannot be said of its reputation as a health resort and tourist centre.
The terrible yellow fever first appeared in December, 1849, and continued periodically to claim a large quota of victims until some seven years ago, when the tremendous efforts of the architect and sanitary engineer finally overcame it.
Steam navigation between Rio and Europe was inaugurated in 1851; the city was first lighted by gas in 1854; the first railway was opened in 1858, the first tramway in 1868; the trans-Atlantic telegraph was laid to Rio in 1874; and a new supply of drinking water was engineered in 1880. Meanwhile the city continued to extend its suburbs, and the mountain health-resort, Petropolis, for the Court, the Diplomatic Corps and the wealthier citizens, acquired the magnitude of a town.
One of the principal pre-occupations of Dom Pedro II. throughout the latter part of his reign was the abolition of slavery in Brazil. In 1871 the law entitled the “Free Womb" was passed, by which children of slaves became free after a certain number of years. Various other measures continued from time to time to attack the deeply-rooted custom, and in 1888 slavery was definitely abolished by Imperial decree, amid much apparent rejoicing. There is, however, little doubt that the price of freedom of millions of African slaves throughout the country was the immediate overthrow of the Empire in 1889 and the declaration of the republican form of government.
Bell, Alured Gray. The Beautiful Rio de Janeiro. William Heinemann, 1914.
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